Insurance reference-sheet.



H. A. MQRISGN; INSURANGB I'BPBRENGB SHEET, APPLIUA'TION FILED MAB. 7, 1919.

QQJSQE, 1 Patented Mar.1',1914.

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Speciication of Letters Patent.

Patent-ed Mai'. 17, igt@ Application led 'March 7, 1910. Serial No. 547,935,r

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY A. Morrison, a citizenl of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in insurance Reference-Sheets, ofv which the following is a specification. y

This invention relates to an insurance reference sheet. At present such maps are commonly bound into large volumes, and the schedules of oiiicial or recommended rates l applicable to the buildings and other risks indicated on tliefmaps are placed upon detached cards or bound in book form. The finding of the rate of insurance upon a given risk,- under the `present practice, involves always a tedious series of references and frequently a page to page search. rllie preparation of the maps, moreover, by reason of the representation on each sheet of a relatively large area, requires great outlay for surveying, drafting and engraving.

The object of my invent-ion is, primarily, to simplify and render more convenient the method of reference from insurance maps to rate schedules, and, incidentally, to lessen the cost si the preparation and publication of insurance maps.

With this end in view, my invention consists in providing (l) a series of cards ot' convenient size, each bearing a inap oa small portion (e. g., a city block) of lthe entire area to be represented by. a series, together with the schedule of rates applicable to the buildings and other risks delineated on the map; and (2) a key map, on a small scale, of the entire area'represented on the series of cards. On the key map the blocks or other subdivisions separately mapped .on the cards are to be consecutively numbered and each card is to bear the key map number of the block or other portion thereon represented. l v

tn the drawings illustrating an embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a plan view or a section of a key map; Fig. is a plan view of a diagram inap of a subdivision of that shown in Fig., l, including all descriptive matter usually contained in insurance maps; and liig. 3 is a similar view of a rate schedule shown in tabulated form. It is to be understood that these three sheets may either b,e separate `sheets of paper having the proper characters and indications thereon or the rate sheet may be printed upon the back of either of the other sl'i'e'ets or the sheets combined in any similar Way. The key map,` a section of which is shown in F ig. l, may cover the entire city or other district mapped upon the cards; or if more practicable it may be represented on several sheets, in which case each sheet should bear an index character, indicated by A in Fig. l. This key map has designated thereon the various city blocks which are indicated by suitable numbers, B, as are also the streets by their several names. The key map may also indicate ivaterniains, as by broken lines C in the view; and byrepresentative marks, as D, E and F, respectively, the location of tire alarm stations, Water hydrants and tire engine houses which are included within the scope of the map; and it may include such other features as the convenience of the underwriters may require.

The diagram inap .illustrated in Fig. 2 comprises but a small portion ofV the area slioWn'oii the key map, preferably a single .city block. It indicates the location, size and relative position ofthe several buildings and other structures within the area represented, and there is also indicated thereon supplemental details Aas to height, structural materials and other characteristics of the buildings g-in short, containing all of the information which may be conveniently delineated upon al detail diagram inap. It also affords information as to the. street numbers of the several buildings represented, indicates the Widths of streets,

alleys and other open spaces Within and sur-f rounding the area included in the map;

as Well as having designated upon the represented buildings symbols to indicate such protective devices as automatic sprinklers, G, iron shutters J, etc.

The above described diagram map or the card bearing the same is given an index letter or number, K, corresponding to a designating character, as K', upon the key map. The rate sheet, Fig 3, is similarly marked by a designating letter or number, as K, and is ruled by vertical and horizontal lines to provide respectively columns ,and rows for a systematic arrangement of the several factors and whereby reference thereto for information is facilitated. More particu- 1 larly, the first column, L, 'is utilized for a series of numbers selected by the rating oiiicer to designate the segregable properties which are included in the companion diagram map, Fig. 2, and which are or may be subject to insurance. In the next column,

QM, 1s desirably placed the names of the contents, expressed in figures. Still another' column, T, maybe provided for the insertion streets upon which such properties abut; and in the next column, N, is contained the street numbers of the respective properties; and in the following column, O, is designated by denominating characters, the class of risks to which each particular piece of property is assigned .by statute or otherwise. The next column,'P, is employed to indicate the various occupations which .are being conducted in the several enumerated places, and may also beused for indicating other information pertaining lto the structure of the several buildings, their contents,

etc. The next two columns, Rand S, have the oEcial or recommended rates of insurance upon the several buildings and their in their alphabetical or numerical order in a Within the scope card index box. Furthermore, by thus combining the rate sheet with the diagram ma both may be more conveniently utilized by an insurance agent or by an inspector when making a survey of the map.

of the subdivision included The operation of the invention may be eX- plained as follows: Reference to the key map (Fig. l) discloses the index number of the particular block wherein a given risk 'is located, by which number the proper card, including the diagram map 'and the rate sheet thereto applicable, is readily found from the file. furnishes all the data re uired in ascertaining or fixing the rate olfl insurance u pon a given risk, from the foregoing description.

What I yclaim as my invention, is

Ina card index, the combination with a key map, of a series of maps, the series of maps bemg sub-divisions of the aforesaid key map, each section of the key map having a number corresponding to a number on the sub-division maps, each sub-division map having conventional means thereon to 'indicate respectively a certain area, therelative positions of structures Within said area, the material of which said structures are built, lire protective devices, the opposite sides of each map constituting a rate sheet having means to constitute a heading and appropriately numeral designated spaces beloW said heading for entry respectively of indications of the structures Within said area subjected to insurance, the names ofv the streets upon'which the structures abut,

street numbers of the represented structures,

class of the risk, occupations conducted in the enumerated structures, and rates of insurance on the building and its contents.

HENRY A. MORISON.

Witnesses:

, H. BARNES, A. B. SMITH.

An inspection of this cardl as lwill be readily understood' 

